The Future King: Return of the Once Monarch follows Merlin in the modern world; who is living in Oxford as a history professor as he awaits the return of Arthur. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The inspiration lies in the original mythos. The story of King Arthur and Merlin has always ended in tragedy with Arthur fated to die after the Battle of Camlann. The legend of the “Once and Future King” I felt was left unfinished. This book, and ultimately this series, picks up after that tragedy and changes the story into optimism…and ultimately redemption of the hero.

What was your approach to writing the interactions between characters?

I approached this from many viewpoints, but most importantly, it was done by meticulously creating each character first. Moreover, characters originally from the legend such as Merlin, Morgana, and Arthur needed to be “resurrected” and then “modernized.” Once each character was breathed into life, then it became easy to let the interactions flow, because they were natural.

This sets up the novel to deliver some very entertaining scenes. What scene was the most fun to write?

There are too many scenes! A magical fantasy such as this is all fun to write! But if I really had to choose one it would be the flashback scene where Merlin obtains the Scepter of Avalon. It is cosmic, humble, and rewarding. As far as heroes go, it is a major part of Merlin’s origin story.

What is the next book you are working on, and when will that be published?

It’s entitled The Future King | Rise of the Sorcerer. There’s more magic, spells, adventure, fun, thrills, and developments carried over from the first book. The sequel provides some answers to questions left open-ended in Return of the Once Monarch. The characters develop as the main story arc continues. Moreover, the sky is the limit for the characters as the series evolves! Stay tuned!

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